Forced Contraception in Greenland Exposed as Legacy of Colonial Control

More than 350 Greenlandic Indigenous women and girls, some as young as 12, were forcibly administered contraception by Danish health authorities between 1960 and 1991, according to a report published in 2025. The Inuit victims, many of them teenagers at the time, were either given intrauterine devices (IUDs) or hormonal injections without proper consent or full disclosure about the procedures. The report notes that nearly 150 of these women later filed lawsuits against the Danish government, alleging human rights violations. Danish authorities confirmed that the practice was part of a broader effort to curb population growth in Greenland, which was experiencing a demographic surge due to improved living conditions and healthcare access. The report adds that nearly 4,500 women and girls—approximately half of the fertile population in Greenland at the time—received IUDs between the 1960s and mid-1970s.

Greenland’s healthcare system transitioned to local control on January 1, 1992. The report underscores the systemic dehumanization faced by Greenlanders under Danish governance, which included policies such as the forced separation of Indigenous children from their families for re-education in Danish foster care. These policies, spanning centuries, were aimed at cultural assimilation and control, with the forced contraception campaign being one of the most recent manifestations of such practices. The report also highlights the physical and emotional trauma experienced by many victims, including pain, bleeding, and infections, alongside feelings of shame and betrayal.

The governments of Denmark and Greenland issued a joint apology in 2025 for their roles in the historic mistreatment, reportedly in an attempt to preempt the release of the report. An official apology event was scheduled for September 24 of that year in Greenland’s capital. Despite the apology, legal proceedings remain ongoing for some of the affected women, who seek compensation for the damages suffered. The report was part of an independent investigation initiated in June 2023 following widespread public concern and media coverage.

The issue has emerged amid broader geopolitical tensions involving Greenland, particularly with U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated comments on the strategic and mineral-rich Arctic island. However, Danish and Greenlandic leaders have consistently denied any intent to sell the territory, with Denmark taking diplomatic action after reports of covert influence operations linked to Trump supporters. The report’s findings have drawn attention to the long history of colonial policies impacting Greenlandic Indigenous communities and the ongoing efforts to address historical injustices.

This report adds to the growing body of evidence highlighting the need for accountability and reparations in cases of forced population control. It also reflects the broader global discourse on reproductive rights and Indigenous sovereignty. As of 2025, 354 women between the ages of 48 and 89 provided testimonies for the report, with nearly all having been between 12 and 37 at the time of the procedures. The findings represent a significant step in acknowledging the historical mistreatment of Indigenous women and girls in Greenland and serve as a call to action for justice and healing.